Author's Notes:
Hello and sorry for the very long gap between updates, my writing imagination just hasn't been present for months. This is more interaction between Iverson and Lance, albeit some very short interaction. I apologise once again, and I hope you enjoy the chapter.
I own nothing.
Chapter 15
After the (unintended) revelation, Lance and Iverson began to sort out their new dynamic as father and son.
Of course, it was hardly easy to do, since there was a war going on and both of them had duties to attend to, but they made time where they could. Of course, it wasn't long before word got around, since they'd decided that keeping it secret was pretty pointless considering the number of people present when Sanda dropped the bombshell.
Unsurprisingly, the news had little impact on the base as a whole, there were far more important things to spend time over than unexpected family connections. If anything, people were happy for them, since separated families were all too common with the ongoing war.
With regards to their duties, they tried to not to let it interfere with what had to be done. Yes, Iverson would be lying if he said he wasn't worried when Lance had to go out on a mission, but as an officer, he knew that Lance needed to be out there for everyone else's sake. Though he did keep a closer eye on his son's comm channel than he really needed to.
The most interesting of changes was his sudden assimilation into Team Voltron.
He suspected that Lance had convinced the others to not hold the situation against his father, and most had treated him warmly. True, Coran had hinted as to his dire fate should he cause the boy harm, but with that understanding, the older Altean was not hostile. This led to him becoming something of a neutral ground between Voltron and the Admiralty, allowing them to overcome their initial problems and actually start working together. Sanda was still unhappy, but she had accepted their arguments begrudgingly, which was probably the best they were going to get.
So, with a degree of unity, the fight against Sendak continued.
Iverson yawned and rubbed his tired eyes.
Even in war, the Garrison still somehow managed to produce endless amounts of paperwork. True, it was actually all digital, but that didn't make it much better.
As a senior officer, he used to be entitled to a full suite that included a private office, bedroom and en-suite. However, he'd handed that over to make room for civilians that came seeking shelter and converted a part of his old public office into a sort of sleeping area, that had recently acquired a second single bed.
The door swished open, announcing the arrival of Lance, returning from some intensive training.
The boy took one look at his father's computer and grimaced, knowing full well what was on it. In response, Iverson looked him over, instantly seeing all the signs of a tough session.
"Has Keith been driving you all hard again?"
Lance rolled his eyes, confirming the assumption, and the man chuckled.
"Good."
At that, the boy gave a glare, and his headset quickly produced a series of symbols.
Iverson smiled, "Well of course I'm like Shiro, who do you think was the one running him into the ground when was a cadet." He looked thoughtful, "Though he always did push himself hard without any encouragement."
Lance had started to pull off his armour, and his father raised an eyebrow, "Aren't you going to get a shower?"
One of their great advantages was the fact that the base had its own, protected water supply. It had been one of the first things secured after the invasion, thus leaving them with one of their most basic needs.
Lance rolled his eyes once more, and then quickly did a mime for Allura.
"I see, the princess and Pidge beat you to it." Iverson turned back to the computer, "Well, you were smart to not fight with them over it."
They remained in comfortable silence, as Lance continued to remove his armour and Iverson returned to his work.
Time passed and he kept working until he noticed the odd silence.
Despite not knowing Lance long, Iverson had discovered that there were differences in Lance's silences, differences that he noticed. Whether it was parental instinct or something else, he didn't know, but he could always tell without looking when Lance was awake or at rest if they were both in the same room, and he was certain that the boy had fallen asleep.
Turning around, he found his hunch was indeed correct, there was his son, curled up on his bed, apparently having drifted off after shedding his armour.
In a way that was likely a left over from his days on the streets, Lance always slept curled up like a cat, his bedding often abandoned on the floor somewhere.
Iverson frowned thoughtfully, it was actually more akin to the way a lion would curl at rest, Lance's head on his hands and legs tucked beneath him.
The man smiled.
Coran had once referred to the Paladins as little lions, out of earshot of everyone else, and Iverson couldn't deny the similarities they bore to their respective lions.
Gently, he got up and carefully placed the discarded blanket over his son, letting the young lion sleep.
His computer gave a soft chime, and Iverson frowned. Upon investigation, he saw a message from Admiral Sanda, requesting a meeting with him in her office immediately.
Suppressing a sigh, he left the room and strode out to his superior's office.
He was allowed entrance promptly, and the Admiral was already sat waiting for him behind his own desk.
Like his own, her office doubled as a bedroom due to the number of civilians needing shelter, so it was now far less tidy than it once had been. However, she had a definite workspace with room for meetings with her senior officers.
She nodded curtly, "Take a seat Commander."
He did as commanded, and awaited her next words, she didn't leave him waiting.
"Commander Iverson, do you truly believe that continuing this fight is what's best?"
Straight to the point as always, Sanda immediately went for the main question, and Iverson give an equally to the point answer.
"I do Admiral."
No doubt she'd expected his answer, he wasn't known for backing down easily when he'd made a decision, one of the reasons she trusted his input.
Sanda didn't waver, "And why is that?"
"Because I believe it is our only option, if we want to have a chance at surviving." He laid his thoughts before her, "As we know, the Galra have us outnumbered, outgunned, and effectively trapped within this base. They control almost the entirety of Earth and have no other form of resistance other than us. This is an advantage no general would surrender, not even for something like Voltron. I doubt they will parley, and I'm certain they will simply crush us if the lions are handed over to them, in fact, they could well be counting on it."
She stared at him steadily, "And that is your only reasons for believing in this course of action?"
He returned the stare, "What are you implying Admiral?"
She leaned on her desk, "I am concerned that your personal connection to the Red Paladin may be clouding your judgement."
He replied steadily, "Admiral, bear in mind that continuing to fight places him directly on the front lines, I do not side with that course lightly." He looked down briefly, "But Lance is ready to take that risk, and as a commander of this base I must be as well, even if I dread sending him out to fight, knowing he might not return."
There was silence for several long moments, then she finally spoke again, "And if we should end up at odds with the Paladins, what will you do then?"
He did not reply immediately, but when he did, he met her eyes directly, "We all wish to take back our home and see an end to this war Admiral, there should be no cause for us to end up at such odds with the Paladins."
They held gazes, staring each other down for nearly a whole minute, until Admiral Sanda gave a single nod, "You are dismissed Commander."
Iverson stood and started to walk out the room, but he stopped in the door, and spoke without turning around.
"Lance will always be my first choice Admiral, I know that for certain."
PS-So a bit of a tense conversation between Sanda and Iverson there at the end. Please let me know what you thought and I'll hopefully update far sooner than last time.